"Boy Racers"

[sparrow]

Well they've hit the headlines over here in a big way, but is it so different to the "hoons" when we were growing up? In some ways, I think my era was worse. We had the combination of drink, speed and youth to contend with. A number of my classmates died in car accidents - due to drink, speed and inexperienced youths behind the wheel.

One of the issues I see today is the power of the vehicles in charge of the young.

Do you think it's any worse today or is this a moral panic?

[kokonutwoman]

No not a moral panic. I think that today's youth are more at risk and racing is one of the more deadly. I have two boys that are at the age of wanting to drive and I'm looking for a vehicle that takes 100 years to go from 0 to 20k. What I can not understand is how parents allow their off spring to purchase these powerful cars knowing how inexperienced their kid is.

[maire]

I think they often buy the cars for them kokonutwomanI get the feeling some are ignorant to what their kids are doing with the cars as well. I don't know whether it's a case of "my son John can do no wrong" or just that they really do have no idea of what is going on.
My personal opinion is that there is far too much made of boy racers by the media, if we didn't hear about them constantly, we probably wouldn't notice them nearly so much. And the more laws against them, the more they appear to rebel. I have seen 100% more rubber left on the road since the last laws were brought in. Nearly every intersection in every street has the evidence.

[sparrow]

That's interesting Maire. I agree on parents being careful what cars they buy their kids, especially when they're inexperienced drivers. I guess "racing" has become quite prominent in films like the Fast & the Furious, but hey - there have always been films about teenagers rebelling against the "establishment". My concern is the speed these cars can do with inexperienced kids behind the wheels. Rather they were given something slow and solid to gain experience with.

When our kids get to driving age Koko: we'll be getting them something slow and chunky to drive!

[maire]

I nearly had a heart attack the first time I let my son drive my car.
He assured me he knew how to drive, his friends had taught him.
First I had heard of that!! The evidence of this "learning" I found out when we came up to a roundabout and he accelerated going around it
He couldn't understand why I was so upset "we made it" he said.
After that episode I thought he needed some instruction from someone a bit more mature so I gave him lessons.
All seemed to go well after that.
I took him down to get his restricted and after his test I asked the driving inspector how he got on. He said he was an excellent driver and I was quite pleased, until he added he didn't like his attitude. I asked what had happened and apparently he had been quite vocal in his complaints about other drivers on the road. I had to turn away to hide my embarrassment lol that was my influence as well. I'm not the most tolerant of bad drivers and am not backward in coming forward about informing anyone who cares to listen

[sparrow]

Lol Maire. Neither am I! I had to stop cussing at other drivers when the kids were little. It came to my attention when I beeped the horn at someone and a little voice from the back of the car piped up: "Ya idiot. Ya moron. Idiot. Moron". Aaaaaaagh.

[maire]

I know exactly what you're saying. And swear words are always one of the first things they learn with ease when really young.
Had the most embarrassing (another and with the same son) when he was around a year old. We were at my daughters school sports day. A child sitting by us said the F word and guess who copied .... not once either and not quietly. It didn't help that all the other kids starting laughing, which encouraged him even further. I had to turn away and pretend he wasn't mine when the principal walked over to see what was going on. Needless to say, I did not hang around too long after that ;D ;D
And I'm sorry!!!